Iran’s intelligence minister announced today that authorities have identified the two people responsible for the “assassination” of Saneh Jaleh, the student killed during the February 14 street demonstrations.
“We have made the necessary arrangements regarding the people who assassinated Martyr Jaleh, and further developments will be announced later,” Heydar Moslehi, Iran’s intelligence minister told reporters.
Saneh Jaleh was shot and killed during the anti-government demonstrations in Tehran. While the government maintains he was a member of the Basij militia and a supporter of the state, the opposition insists he was an active protester. As proof they have published pictures of him visiting the late dissident cleric Ayatollah Montazeri, who was treated as a pariah by the Islamic Republic state.
Hossein Shriatmadari, the director of the Keyhan daily newspaper and a staunch hardliner, has said on television that Jaleh used to infiltrate crowds and report on their activities to Keyhan.
Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian Nobel Peace laureate, has rejected state explanations, saying there is no doubt that security forces shot Jaleh. She cites claims by Saneh Jaleh’s brother that the Basij membership card shown on television is fake.
Jaleh’s brother has said that the day after Jaleh’s death, their cousin, who is a member of the Revolutionary Guards, came to their home and took a picture of his brother. He says the picture was used to forge the Basij card.
